Refused
by Insanity on High
Summary: Kel is refused from training at the palace, without ever being given the chance to prove herself. She is forced to go to the convent, and rebels there. With the help of new friends and those outraged by the King's decision, can she become a great warrior?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: _ Heya! Katie here for my first Tamora Pierce Chapter Fic! Woot! I'm sorry if the paragraphs are long, they really didn't look that long written out on paper. I will hopefully get a beta later on (if I decide to continue this)._**

**_Please enjoy!_**

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**Refused: Chapter 1**

**by: Insanity on High (formerly ForeverxKatie)  
**

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"Keladry of Mindelan would like to try for her knighthood. I know the law states that girls may do so, but think of all the consequences that may result! I'm not sure--" Jon started the discussion with his Champion and the Training Master.

"What?" Alanna's face was a brilliant shade of red as she screamed at the man that was once her lover. "You passed a law and now you are thinking of revoking the right for girls to train? I survived despite all the so-called 'complications.' Am I not example enough?" Alanna was visibly outraged. She could not understand his logic. She would personally ensure that the girl would be fairly treated. She must have a lot of courage to try for this, surely she knows what it would take, how hard it might be.

"What I cannot believe is that Baron Piers and Lady Ilane are supporting this. The Mindelans have provided us with several very good fighters -- Anders, Inness, and Conal -- but, females are not male. I have two young daughters, and already they are always chatting and fawning about some boy or other. Pardon my bringing this up, but what about her womanly needs? Who will she have for such times? I know you dislike my reasoning, Alanna, but you must understand the truth in my words," Lord Wyldon of Cavall tried to reason with his compatriots. It was not in his best interest to have a girl training with all the male pages.

He could remember when two years prior a certain boy had come to the palace. Although the young man had come from a well-known fief in the Book of Gold, his looks were the cause of much jesting. It was not that he was ugly or his face malformed in any way, quite the opposite. Instead his looks were so perfect they were often considered "like those of a girl." If there was a real girl in their presence, he could only imagine how socially awkward it would be for her. He explained this in another attempt to persuade the royal into rejecting Baron Piers' proposal.

Jon put his head in his hands and started to rub his temples. He knew this talk would give him a headache! He also knew that if he listened to Wyldon, his former-squire would most likely refuse to ever speak a word to him again. However, if he gave into Alanna, then this 'Keladry' might face everything that Cavall had predicted. Sometimes Jonathon despised being in the position of the King. Why was he the one who had to make the ultimate decision? Finally, he had completed his mental processes. He looked up and murmured his verdict.

Alanna got up and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. He had known this would happen. Sighing, he turned to the stoic knight.

"You are dismissed."

* * *

Baron Piers took a thin letter from the hands of a young messenger from the palace. The wax seal bore the insignia of the Crown. It was addressed to his youngest daughter, Keladry. He knew what it contained and feared what words would be written on the page.

Ever so carefully, he broke the seal and began to read:

_"To Keladry of Mindelan:_

_Although a law was passed proclaiming that all women would have a chance to try for their knighthood, it has been decided that you will not be given the opportunity. This is done not because we believe that women do not have the abilities for such things. but rather because we believe it would be in your best interest to study at the convent with other girls instead. Someday in the future you may feel glad that you receive this letter. You may even find your notions to become a knight to be childish._

_I am considering giving you a chance to learn about weaponry after you have given the convent a try, but there are no guarantees there. Please understand my reasoning._

_Sincerely,_

_King Jonathon  
_

Just as her father had finished reading the note, Kel herself ran in sporting a black eye from a scuffle with a couple of immature adolescents who had deemed it exhilarating to endanger kittens. She skidded to a halt when she noticed what he was holding.

"Papa, what does it say?" she asked worriedly. Most of the time when he used his 'Yamani mask' around her it was because he was going to say something negative.

This time, however he was wordless as he passed the parchment to her. She scanned the contents and tried to avoid a scowl from forming on her face. It was not at all fair that she was refused! Just because someone actually went for the offer made it nullified? She tried to keep her anger inside, squishing it down, in attempts to make it go away.

In a controlled voice completely devoid of emotion, she stated, "I'm sure my sisters will be glad not to have the disgrace of such a liberal sister. It will help them get better marriages. I guess I'll have to start my preparation for the convent.

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Kel went to her room, but she did not cry. Silently, she began packing her things and put away her glaive. Looking at it reminded her of how she would never be able to wield a weapon like her idol, the Lioness.

At the convent, she would be taught how to sew, curtsy, eat with proper etiquette, and how to dance at balls, but how would that benefit Tortall? Perhaps she would learn how to be a good wife, but she had never actually thought about having a man or children in her future. All she had wanted was to be a knight.

Later that evening she made a resolution: If Tortall did not want her, she did not want Tortall. She would go to the Daughters, but she would rebel. Had Tortall listened to her? No, it had mocked her. Though the girl might not be 'fit' to fight for her land, she was most definitely 'fit' enough to fight against it.

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**Another A/N: _I'm sorry some of the paragraphs were pretty long. I have never actually tried to write a Tammy Pierce chapter fic before, so this is a first. Don't worry, some of the characters we all know and love will appear later._**

**_I'm not sure how often I will be able to post, but I will try! Please hit that little 'review' button. I'm usually not very pushy on that, but I do want to know what people think of this story idea._**

**_All mistakes in this piece are mine, and I am sorry to say that I have a habit of making up words, so I'm sorry about any of those that might appear._**

**_Leer. Responder. Es sencillo._**

**Disclaimer: _I do not own any of the content in Tamora Pierce's books (although I do own copies of them.) I cry myself to sleep every night knowing that I have to write this disclaimer.  
_  
Posted: 02-09-09  
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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: _ Thank you so much for being so supportive! I'm really sorry this took so long to put up! I hope this chapter meets your expectations! I don't think it's my best, so I promise the next chapter will be written better._**

_**I will probably find a beta for this story, but if any of you guys really want to do it, just tell me.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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Three of the Mindelan sisters and their cousin Mariannah, sat in a rickety carriage headed towards the convent in the city dedicated to the Mother Goddess. All three sisters looked prim, with perfectly straight backs and newly bought clothes. Mariannah sat bent over, reading a book.

The youngest of them all looked quite uncomfortable in the periwinkle dress that was the newest style in Corus. She was quiet, listening to her sisters' banter. Adalia, commonly known as Adie, and Oranie did not seem to care abiut nor notice the lack of excitement in Kel's face. As the horse plodded along, and they had run out of handsome men to discuss, they decided to finally bring their sister into the conversation.

"Don't tell me you are still glum about not being allowed to train at the palace! You should really just accept the disappointment and move on. Things rarely ever fall perfectly into place," Adie stated.

"I do have to admit though, imagine being surrounded by so many boys! A ton of rich boys and only you in one place would be such paradise. I can't believe I had never thought of such benefits before!" Oranie let out a giggle, "I certainly hope our Kel would have chosen the best-looking guy she could get before those of us at the convent even had a chance!"

"Boys aren't everything, but they are all you two ever think about. Mari, please agree with me that there is more to life than kisses and balls!"

Mariannah had a sly smile as she nodded and raised her head high. Her soprano voice rang out, "Of course there is more than kisses and balls. There are courtships, engagements, marriages, beds, and children too. Although, when the right person kisses you, it will seem like the world to you. You'll feel warm and tingly. You won't want to stop and you'll feel as though your body is on fire with passion. When you are old enough you will understand. It comes to everyone, wheter they grasp that love or not is up to them. When that sort of love is in your reach, never let it go Keladry."

The eleven-year-old looked at her siblings and could see the smiles and agreement on their faces. It wasn't long before they would be presented to court. Although she had never had much in common with them, perhaps she would try and see things the way they did. She pondered who she was truly and looked out the window to watch the trees pass by. Each tree reached for the sky.

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Kel looked up at the large buildings that sprawled out before her with resign. Longingly, she gazed towards the west from whence she had come. If one traversed the road far enough one would reach Corus. She still wished that she could be standing in front of the palace instead of the convent. Alas, some things were just not meant to be. She sighed and put on her Yamani mask.

"Hurry up Kel! You do not want to become a pariah for not being punctual. A lady should always either be on time or fashionably late," Oranie snapped at her younger sister who had not budged since stepping off the rickety carriage. Clutching a bag with her face paint collection in it she swept past her sister, brushing her arm against Kel's.

Kel was brought back from her daydreams of knighthood, something she would never obtain. She smoothed out her pale blue dress and put a hand to her hair to make sure it was somewhat in place and hurried to catch up with her sisters.

* * *

She surveyed her room. It was small and tidy, just how she liked it. There were a few pieces of furniture, including a couple of chairs and a desk. Kel started to make the quarters seem more personal by unpacking the majority of her possessions.

There was was one item she had brought that didn't quite seem to have a place to go. It was long, thin, and had a razor sharp disk at one end. It seemed similar to a staff, but it was black and silver with a cutting edge that could only be described as 'deadly.' It was her glaive, a Yamani weapon she had learned to fight with over the years. She did a quick pattern dance with it, lunging and swinging the weapon in a controlled manner before placing it down on the oak desk. She would move it when she had a good place in mind.

"What is that thing? It looks very dangerous," a voice asked from the open doorway. It had fearful, yet awestruck undertones. Kel turned around and saw that the young girl's eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly agape. She looked even more scared when her eyes were drawn to a yellowing bruise around Keladry's eye.

"It's a glaive, a Yamani weapon that I learned to wield when my family lived there. My name is Keladry of Mindelan. It's a pleasure to meet you," she offered a small curtsy that was clumsily done, but the best of her abilities. The other girl returned the gesture, but her curtsy was crisply done.

"I am Sylvania of Queenscove. I wanted to meet some of the people who were going to become my yearmates. I will see you around and leave you to your business,"

"Wait!" Kel blushed a faint red, "Would you mind if I joined you? I would like to see a bit of the building since I have finished getting settled in,"

"It would not bother me in the least,"

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"We give thanks to Mithros and the Goddess for the food that fills my plate. We pray for those who are not as fortunate as we are. We hope that we will always have compassion and share the things we have. This we ask of Mithros and our mother Goddess. So mote it be," a priest droned on from the front of the hall filled with young women with their heads bent and hands folded in their laps.

"So mote it be," they chorused and began to eat what they had been served.

"Did you hear? A fifteen-year-old University student is just starting his page training this year! His name is Nealan of Queenscove," a cold voice said loudly enough that it was heard by almost everyone in the hall.

"How embarrassing, especially since his family is in the Book of Gold!" exclamations rang out ridiculing the man most of them had never actually met.

Recognizing the name, Kel looked at her new friend. There were pink spots on her cheeks and ut was obvious that at that moment she wanted to disappear. Keladry knew and understood why her appearance was as it was, but she was flummoxed as to why the other girl had shouted the gossip. It was a cruel thing to do, and when she saw who it was she noticed the satisfied smirk on the girl's face. She was now talking quite animatedly to the crowd that wanted to hang on to every word she said.

"There goes any chance of my being even remotely popular. He didn't believe me when I expostulated with him on that issue," Sylvania muttered, her bright green eyes flashing.

"He's your brother?" Kel was curious, partially because she was wondering why it bothered her friend so much. It was also partially because she was wondering why he had gotten the chance to become a page, even at his age, and why she had been refused.

A very subtle nod gave her the answer to her question.

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"Sylvania, it doesn't matter if he is your brother or not. What he does is not something you should be held accountable for. That girl only humiliates others to make herself feel better. You need to be strong. You should stand up for yourself!" Kel tried to comfort and encourage the person that now sat on a bed, weeping. Sylvania had been the target of several crude jokes and much laughter. She had appeared fine as she took it all in, but the facade collapsed as soon as she was in private.

"I-i- kn-know that. How a-am I su-sup-supposed to d-deal with all this? I-it's not like I c-can escape them," her knuckles whitened as she clenched the pillow in her hands even harder. Kel reached over and gently pulled her hands off the down-filled object.

"You are here to study and learn. If they don't want to do well, then they won't be receiving proposals while you will have too many to count. You are better than they are. Fight against them and maybe the problems will clear up. I'll be with you whatever you do," Kel tried to catch her friend's eyes. Sylvania's head lifted and there was determination burning in those eyes, darkening them to a forest green that met Kel's hazel.

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**A/N: _ I would now like to thank my favorite bands/singers for inspiring me while I wrote this. So thank you to: Within Temptation, Hoobastank, Three Day's Grace, David Bisbal, Amaia Montero (from La Oreja de Van Gogh), Orange Range, and Ana Torroja. And thanks to my mom for finally letting me buy whatever books I want (she is really against me spending a ton of money in a bookstore.)_**

**_Please, read and review (they make my world go round)! I really appreciate it, and I do try to respond. I'm really sorry if I didn't this time, I haven't been on the computer much recently._**

**_With love,_**

**_Insanity on High_**

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_Disclaimer: _I do not own the content in Tamora Pierce's novels, which depresses me, but I can always dream! :)

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**Posted****:_ 03/02/09  
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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **_**I am so sorry this took so long to post, and that it is so short. I've been very sick and then I had a huge science competition (which I did extremely well at). I thought the end would be a good cliffhanger, and I kind of lost one of my notebooks that had what was to happen next (I just wanted to post this before way way too much time went by.) Even so, please review!  
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_Kel's throat felt dry and scratchy from screaming. She had stopped producing noise a long time before, but her jaw was still lowered as she tried to avoid looking down. Tears slipped down her face silently. They'd roll down then fall off into the oblivion beneath her feet. The loudest thing she could hear was her heart thudding in her chest trying to escape. In the background was the cold heartless laughter of her older brother. Her vision was blurred so she could not see him although he was just an arms-length away. She had tried everything to make him stop, but he refused to listen. She couldn't understand why he acted as ge did, but it was not fair that she had to be the target of his cruel humor._

_"Look down. It's an awfully long way to fall, don't you think?" he taunted her. All of a sudden, she could see much sharper. She looked into Conal's eyes, so like her own hazel, but his were emotionless. Then she gazed downwards and couldn't pull her eyes away from the dark depths of the canyon. Her feet, dangling in the air, only had one wish -- to be touching solid ground once more._

_Then she felt his grip on the back of her shirt loosen slightly. He was going to let go. With a surge of adrenalin, she let out a raspy shriek that seemed to echo back at her over and over again.

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_

Screaming slightly still, into her pillow, she woke up from the nightmare that plagued her sleep. When she had been younger, it had visited her more frequently than it did now, but every time it was as fearsome as the real event had been. She was drenched in sweat, and the sheets were so tangled she could hardly move. After she had just been lying there for several minutes, trying to catch her breath, she got herself off the bed and onto her feet.

She picked up her glaive, loving the feeling of the metal object in her hands; it made her feel less vulnerable. She started to move, stretching her taut muscles. The beginning of the pattern dance was slow and basic. As she started to work up a sweat, she moved faster and her steps became more complicated. She paid careful attention to the nuances of the steps, as they were very important. A hand with an incorrect grip could be the difference between life and death in a battle.

When she finally finished her morning routine, she heard applause from the doorway. Kel was surprised she couldn't recall hearing a knock or the sound of the door opening. There stood Sylvania, in the same position as the day prior. Today, however, her face showed no fear. As a replacement was a large smile, and her eyes shined when she saw Kel have a hint of a smile on the normally Yamani-smooth face. There was no indication if how distraught she had been the night before.

"Now that you are ready for the day, mayhaps you could get dressed and we could go to eat breakfast together?"

"I will meet you in your room as soon as I am ready," Kel promised. She sincerely hoped that today would go better than yesterday had, but she knew that the gossip would not die down for a while. Sighing, she tried to make herself look presentable. She felt uncomfortable in the 'fashionable' long gown that was a hand-me-down from Oranie. The fabric itched her arms and she despised the lace that seemed so abundant.

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"So, your father is the one who is arranging the prince's marriage? Ugh, imagine having to marry purely for political reasons! At least we get some choice in the matter, my grandmother loves to point out how fortunate I am in that regard. I'm sorry I'm so talkative! I've barely let you get two words in! My cousin, Dom of Masbolle, likes to joke that it runs in the family. My brother and I both," Sylvania chattered.

Kel enjoyed being able to listen instead of being expected to produce answers for everything. She tried to get this point across by her statement, "No, no! I do not mind at all! It's quite nice actually," However, she was not sure if her friend had understood as they were interrupted by a short red-headed woman in breeches and a loose tunic. Her most striking feature were her eyes that were the color of amethysts.

"May I ask you where I could find the administration here? Or, perhaps you coukd introduce me to Keladry of Mindelan?" the lady asked.

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**Disclaimer: _I do not own any of the content in Tamora Pierce's books.  
_  
Posted: 04-06-09**


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